In Sweet Scene of Serene
by A Little Birdie Tells Me
Summary: I am Liliana il Grazioso Merlo Turan, and I have just married Luscinia Hafez. I don't know him, nor he me; but together an hour ago, we had saved thousands of lives by sacrificing the rest of ours. It was that single thought that led me to speak loud and clear, "I do." A Last Exile: Fam the Silver Wing fanfic. Pairing: LusciniaXLiliana
1. Prologue

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own Last Exile: Fam the Silver Wing. All characters belong to Range Murata. The following contents are purely Fanfiction and had been written for entertainment purposes only, without any intention of infringing upon any copyright. Thanks.

**A/N:** I realize that Last Exile: Fam the Silver Wing is too new-ish for people to actually start making fandoms; I didn't find any LuscxLili fanfic when I googled it. So I thought it was about time to make something for this fandom, in hopes that other people will be inspired by my work to write more about this couple. Anyhow, since this is like the FIRST LuscxLili fanfic to be put up on , I guess I shouldn't be expecting any reviews any time soon, ne?

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_A Last Exile: Fam the Silver Wing Fanfiction_

**In Sweet Scene of Serene**

_Chapter I: Prologue_

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Startled, Liliana blinked and discovered that she had spaced out yet again. The knocks on the door were persistent. She turned from her spot by the window where she has been standing for the past few hours and walked at a graceful pace towards the door. Her eyes remained glued on the ground, following her own delicate footsteps.

As she passed the huge mirror reaching to the roof, she halted; her eyes darting up to take a peek at the reflection. The importunate calls of the maid seemed to fade away as she found herself unable to look away from the sight.

A tall and lithe figure stared right back at her. The flowing golden hair was set in a traditional yet elegantly stylish twist. The front hair was parted from the middle and twisted into two loose buns from either side and tied to the back. The upper part of the hair puffed up in a way that it almost looked like a golden bow held in the middle by a miniature gold ornament and a Chinese fan-like headdress protruding from the back. The rest of the hair was let out to cascade down freely. A gold tiara perched on top of her head with two black horns like things on either side which elongated into two thin strips of transparent cloth that acted as the veil.

Liliana's eyes were drawn to the face; the sharp pale face embellished by make-up to hide any flaw, if there was any. On the slightly wide forehead was three purple lines proportioned exactly at the middle. The eye-brows appeared thinner than ever. The eye-lid was colored in a light shade of pink and the eye-lashes were darker and heavier than usual with all the mascara. Her lips were painted in a profound alluring red shade; it almost looked as if blood was pouring out of gnawed lips. However, it was the eyes that pierced though the mirror, the azure pools looking like the clear blue sky that emerged after a storm.

Instinctively Liliana took a step towards the mirror; this time the elegant pure white robes came into view, bordered by rich gold, red and purple embroidery the robes hugged her curves naturally.

Her trembling pale fingers shot forward to touch the mirror. For a moment she hesitated, doubtful whether she should touch it or not, fearing that the gorgeous illusion would vanish even at the lightest stroke.

Liliana kept her eyes glued on her fingers as they came in contact with the smooth, cold surface of the mirror and traced a swirling pattern on it before looking back up at the girl beyond the glass. No, it hadn't faded as she dreaded it would. Boldly she dragged her fingers up to where the cheeks were, imagining the soft and smooth texture of the skin.

She cracked open her eyes and realized that she was smiling faintly. Not quite understanding her own motives, she looked at the lady in the mirror uncertainly.

She stood there and watched as long line of black began to form down the girl's cheeks. Liliana blinked and snatched her hand away from the mirror as if her skin had been burnt. Hesitatingly, she brought her slightly shaking hand up to her own cheek, watching out of the corner of her eyes as the girl in the mirror did the very same.

She felt the hot tears cascading her cheeks and quickly wiped it off, careful not to smear it across her painted face. She glanced down at her fingers, they were indeed stained black. She expectantly looked up to the mirror hoping to see a smile of assurance on the deep painted lips; instead a similar look of anticipation stared back at her.

For a moment she felt the intense urge to strike down the mirror; maybe watching the pieces of glass tumbling down would make this cramping feeling that was building up in her chest go away.

Her eyes widened at the train of her thoughts and she immediately frowned at her destructive thoughts. Since when did she have such dangerous thoughts? Again, like many a times in the past few hours, her thoughts felt like a stranger's to her own ears.

She closed her eyes and breathed in and out for a long time. It was something that helped her relax. She struggled to collect her thoughts and calm her racing mind and at length she was able to lock much of the strange thoughts in the back of her head. But the void in her mind was much worse.

She clutched at her chest, feeling the thumps against her skin; it was strange and it wouldn't calm down. She tried again and again to breathe in and out in hopes that in time it would work, but in the end she gave up when her heart wouldn't stop beating against her chest just as erratically as it had been for the past couple of hours.

Sighing, she snapped open her eyes and looked back up into the mirror to meet her own gaze. There she was. She could barely recognize her own face... The reflection in the mirror was just as much of a stranger as her uncontrolled thoughts.

It was odd how just yesterday morning she had peered down at her own reflection without the faintest pulse to strike it down and instead a smile had adorned her lips in anticipation of the day that lay ahead... And now everything had reversed; now everything felt foreign, looked foreign!

Narrowing her eyes at the reflection, her eyes flashed and a look of feral rage crossed her face before she bought her hand down to strike. Cracks began to spread out over the surface like a web as it contracted on impact before beginning to shower down with a loud sound that echoed throughout the walls.

A strange sense of satisfaction rose through her at hearing the piercing sound and suddenly her heavy heart seemed a little lighter than before. She was panting slightly; her forehead was strewn with sweat. She looked down at the mess at her feet. The carpet was strewn with thousands of pieces of broken glass glittering up at her as the light shined down on them; it was like they were provoking her very soul. Thin ropes of blood were trickling down her right hand as they fell on the carpet, coloring it red.

Anger hit her out of the blue and she didn't even give it a good thought and just let her unstable mind take over. Gritting her teeth, she bended over and picked up a shard of the broken glass and looked it over, a piercing pain cutting deep within the muscles of her right arm. Slowly she shifted the object to her left hand and dropped her injured arm to her side not wanting to incite further pain in it. With the tip of her fingers she tested its sharpness and was pleased to see the blood drawing out of her fingertips at the slightest touch; it would do.

She turned the shard over in her hand for some time, nicking her palm in the process, but the pain only lasted for a stinging instant and was nothing compared to the stabbing pain in her right arm. She bought the sharp object up to her eyes, watching the reflection of her maddened glazy eyes on it... It was truly fascinating how something as insignificant as it could cause such pain...

And just like it caused pain, it could also take_ away _the very pain. A choked laugh escaped her throat. It was ironic.

Slowly she played with the shard for a few moments before stopping abruptly. Yes, the pain was growing very intense now; she couldn't even move her right arm. Licking her lips, her eyes flashed as she decided that it was finally time to take away the pain. She slowly raised the shard to her neck.

One swift movement was all it would take... Not liking the hesitation in herself, she cursed herself. Move, move, move, was all her mind screamed. She could hear the footsteps down the corridor running towards her. Steeling herself she brought her hand closer towards her throat...

The door was flung open violently, the force throwing her off her feet and the shard slipped from her hold. No!

The ferocious scream didn't make it past her lips as she jerked out of her trance with a jolt, her eyes rolling. Unconsciously, her hands clutched at her chest; her maddened heart bringing a sense of calm over her for the first time. Dizzily her hand went to the nape of her neck to feel something wet there, yet there was no pain.

'_Just a dream,'_ she kept repeating the words in her mind like a mantra, _'Just a dream.'_

"Hime-sama!"

Fahreen, her maid's, panic stricken cry seemed to come from every direction. She looked around frantically searching for the source of the voice. She tried to keep her eyes open but found it too difficult as a curtain of haziness fell over her orbs. Everything was a blur of colors. The voice calling out her name over and over again was muted out. Everything seemed to slow down; getting slower and slower by the moment.

'_It will soon stop,'_ she promised to herself.

Someone tugged at her hand, and she immediately clutched on it for dear life, not caring who it belonged to. Someone... no, Fahreen, was telling her something but she couldn't hear it. She just looked at the maid blankly, her eyes wide and sharp.

Fahreen pulled her off the ground, and she found herself moving across the room with agility that she didn't think she possessed at the moment. Everything felt so light; she felt light like if she let go of the hand holding her she would just float away.

She didn't spare a glance backwards as she was led away from the mess and restored to the seat by the window; her favorite place, as Fahreen went out of her sight. The adrenaline pumping throughout her veins diminished just as suddenly as it had appeared, making her knees buckle.

The sight of the vast blue on the sky immediately brought a peace to her mind that no other could; it was a mechanism that had developed within her over the time. Slowly the feral look dissolved from her eyes as its natural shade of coolness seeped into them. Her movements were alarmingly numb as she tried to inch forward towards the window, longing to feel the open air against her face.

All thoughts flew out of her mind as soon as the light breeze caught her face, fanning out her light locks around her face. For the first time she felt all her troubles dissolve from within her heart; it was like the wind blew it as far away from her as it could. A faint smile touched her lips as she raised her eyes to the sky.

The sky was a clear blue, just the shade after a storm had blown over.

Finding her voice at last, she told the sky sadly, "I wish it all were a dream gone bad..."

She closed her eyes to the sky, wishing that she could close her eyes to everything else just as effortlessly. Absently mindedly, she stroked the golden plate of the wing shaped tiara perched on her forehead, searching for a sense of comfort.

Tomorrow would bring her a whole new life; and it was a daunting sensation, the feeling of the unknown. It made her tighten her grip on the ornament unconsciously.

* * *

_To be continued..._

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**A/N: **If any of you out there _are _reading this, please leave a comment if you can. It is hard to write a story for a fandom that's not even there.

**A Little Birdie Tells Me. **


	2. New life

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own Last Exile: Fam the Silver Wing. All characters belong to Range Murata. The following contents are purely Fanfiction and had been written for entertainment purposes only, without any intention of infringing upon any copyright. Thanks.

**A/N:** The following chapters will follow Liliana's point of view until and unless I say otherwise.

**DEDICATION:** I'd like to dedicate this chapter to Harry's Tardis, who totally made me my day with his review; my very first review to this story which doesn't even have a fandom! Do you realize just how overjoyed that makes me? So, to and to the more reviews to come. :) Hopefully.

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_A Last Exile: Fam the Silver Wing Fanfiction_

**In Sweet Scene of Serene**

_Chapter II: New life_

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"Liliana-hime! Liliana-hime!" The calls were desperate and I felt someone shake me. I moaned and stirred, a sudden and excruciating pain enclosing my head and setting it on fire.

"What do you want?" I managed to ask groggily and slowly opened by eyes, the bright incandescent lights blinding my sight momentarily.

"Liliana-hime," I distinguished the voice as my most loyal maid, Fahreen's. She continued, "Please do get up!"

I didn't feel like getting up, not after that dream that had been haunting me constantly for the past two days- light or night. I didn't respond to Fareen's request.

I knew very well I couldn't go back to sleep now that I have awoken; besides, lately insomnia was paying regular visits to me. Well, I certainly felt flattered! Neither did I want to wake up, in dread of what more torment I would have to face. I preferred having nightmares about my sucky life to the alternative of having to face the real thing. At least the nightmare is just a fragment of imagination- but not quite.

I pulled up the duvet over my head and instantly felt a pain shoot up my arm. Hissing at the stinging twinge, I brought up my hand to my eyes for a closer inspection. A number of tiny scars zigzagged around the wrist, still sore and pink. Instinctively my other hand went to caress the nape of my neck, wincing as it stung from the light touch. The scar was bigger than the ones on the wrist and it itched as much as it stung. Although I couldn't see it, I could tell it had probably also tinted a shade of baby pink like the ones on my wrists.

"The tailor sent your dress early in the morning. There is not a scratch on it. It looks perfectly new," Fareen was saying, and I wished I didn't have to listen to her fake cherry voice. I groaned in a reply.

"Liliana-hime, please get up. It's time to get ready. It's a big day after all." Fareen's voice was down unlike her usual enthusiasm and it echoed the emptiness that I felt inside me.

"... Has the day finally arrived?" I knew the answer to my query, but dreaded the affirmative answer nonetheless. Fareen seemed to take pity in my sorrow and didn't reply; probably more frightened to admit the truth to herself than to me. Instead I saw her give a shaky nod of confirmation as she hastily turned away from me, whether to brush off the tears in her eyes, or something else, I would never know.

I sighed, "... I'd like to have some fresh air."

Fahreen didn't comment, but it was clear that she was well aware of what my version of 'fresh air' entailed to. She nodded and took the hint to make herself scarce.

Like always, running to my dead mother with my bag of problems seemed to be the soundest thing to do. She had never failed me before, and a talk with her was all I needed, I was convinced. Mother would surely guide me on the right track.

* * *

In sweet scene of serene skies I turn to find a crack in the light,

The darkness slowly seeping in,

The truth of the mad world lay within...

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Stepping out in the palace grounds, it seemed fairly early. The morning breeze was fresh and crisp, all kinds of birds chirping in the distance. I took in a deep breath, savoring the feeling and trying to memorize it to my heart. A sharp cry of an eagle up ahead made my eyes shoot open and blink at the early rays of sunlight.

Picking up the length of dress, I began to walk forward in a hurried pace. It was a path that I could go through even in my sleep. Before long, I was looking up at the dull cemetery gates looming in the shadows of the fading night. I pushed the iron door wide open and its rusty iron made a sharp screeching sound in protest.

Not even sparing the other sections a glance, I mechanically made my way over at the section where the bones of my royal family were laid to rest, their souls watching over them. My mother, bare and old with age, still stood out against the dozen other ancient ones. A thick bed of green had enveloped her gently.

Seating myself on the cold stone path beside mother's grave, I once again lost the track of time, drowned in my screams of insanity. I wanted to tell my mother of everything; how this wasn't fair and how I could see this one decision ruining my entire life as I could only stand by and watch.

How could I knowingly, destroy my own life; give up everything that I had ever known for the sake of something that could bring me nothing more than sorrow? Is this what being a princess entailed to; a life-long condemnation to unhappiness?

I longed to ask my mother how she did it. Did a thousand ways of escaping cross her mind as well, just as it were in my mind? Had she also had the urge to turn tail and keep running until she was in some far away land, like I was having at the moment? Did she too think that she was condemning herself to a life-long worth of sorrow by coming to the agreement that she came? I had no way of knowing.

No matter how many troubles I brought to my dead mother, seeking for solutions and sometimes finding them in my own heart, I couldn't escape the truth that my mother was gone. Dead. I was never going to find the answers that my heart held.

I looked down upon my mother's head stone. It was covered by moss but I could still make out the carved words. Suddenly I couldn't help it anymore. I choked out in a whisper, "Mother?" I caressed the earth where her head lay, "I don't know what to do anymore."

* * *

_The cries of the ghouls traveled through,_

_The shivers wracking my body into a bruise..._

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I made my way up to the palace, trying my best to look like I haven't spent the last hour or so sobbing beside my mother's grave, tethering on the brink of insanity and indecision. I paused and looked up at the clear blue sky, just my favorite shade, trying to feel the peace vibrating from the depths of it.

"Liliana!" There was a familiar voice booming from somewhere behind me, getting closer and closer. But I didn't look away from the sight that granted me peace, even if only for a slight moment.

"What is the meaning of this?" The man demanded, his voice shaking from force he put in it, as he finally came to stand just a step behind me.

"Father," I acknowledged quietly, still not facing him.

"What are you doing roaming around in a time like this? Surely you're not planning on doing something foolish." His voice was strained with anger that was very rare coming from him. But it didn't intimidate me like it could have under any other occasion. I didn't answer.

He frowned, "Why are you not replying? Is this a way to treat your father?"

I had to bite back the retort, alarmed that I had even considered talking back to my father. It horrified me. What was I doing? What was I becoming? I didn't feel like myself anymore.

"Is there anything to say?" I quietly asked instead. I couldn't help the sadness that seeped into my tone, hoping that my father wouldn't take note of it. But he noticed it and the look in his eyes softened immediately.

"Liliana..." He took a few steps forward until he was standing right beside me, "Talk to me."

I didn't know what to say. What was there to say? Whatever I said wouldn't change all these; the motions has already been set. There was no way out.

My father watched me hesitate, struggling with my conflicting thoughts. He closed his wizened eyes and heaved a long sigh, "Are you still not seeing eye to eye with the Council's decision?"

I froze, and without looking at him nodded curtly. He followed my train of sight to peer into the unfathomable blue sky.

"Do you wish to talk about it?"

I shook my head faintly, "No. There is nothing to talk about."

"Hime, you are a princess. It is your duty to sacrifice selflessly for your people and country. Carry out your duty with pride, it will bring you more happiness than you can imagine..."

I doubted it. For I could hardly imagine what I was going to do in the name of my nation could ever bring me one ounce of happiness. But of course I didn't say anything. There was nothing to say, the decision has been made already.

"It brought your mother her happiness," he added quietly, but it caught my attention anyways.

Lowering my lashes, I willed myself to accept all of it.

I was faced with two choices- either to live a life with strangers or to live a life where I felt like a stranger to myself. My thoughts and face were only the beginning; from now on everything would be a stranger to me... This world, the people, the wind, and even the sky would be a stranger to me, whichever choice I made.

I suddenly noticed that the usual bustling of the crowd was missing as only a few were seem roaming around at the early hours.

I guessed that it wasn't necessarily a bad thing that people had finally decided to sleep in, even considering the special event that was meant to take place in a few hours time. My people were fast asleep curled in their beds, not having to be worried about another bomb or two falling off the sky any moment, destroying their lives forever.

No, they could finally sleep in and sleep as long as they wanted in peace, knowing that they were at last safe from the war. I should be happy, I found myself advising my wayward heart. And it seemed to be enough to put my conscious at rest. Just like that, I decided I would do it.

I had to do it.

It was my duty to my nation, to my family and to my own conscious.

For the sake of my nation, for the sake of my family's honor and for the sake of my sanity, I would do it.

I wondered if I would wake up tomorrow to see the world in the same way as today. Perhaps not. The thought alone made sobs began to make their way up my throat but I pushed them back. I promised myself that I wouldn't cry.

* * *

_In sad scene of sorrowful skies I turn to find no precious speck of light,_

_The darkness surrounds all..._

* * *

I first knew that I was going to get married two days beforehand the day. I had no choice in the matter. But I guess I should have expected it seeing that I was the eldest daughter of the King of Turan.

It went a lot like this.

My country Turan and another, Ades, was in the middle of a bloody war. Ades, of course couldn't bother less if things weren't going so well at our end, but as it turned out, Ades, herself, wasn't able to do much progress in the war either. Meaning, this war could drag on and on as long as it was deemed necessary. Like every other war, this war that had been waging between us for quite a while, required a lot of sustenance, resulting to severe losses of valuable resources in the economy that apparently, Ades had the good mind of saving. Apparently, as it turns out, one of Ades's aim is the efficient allocation of resources.

Therefore, Turan's High Council and the Ades Federation sat together to brainstorm on how to save whatever sanity people had left within their brains, save some lives on both frontiers and save the resources that they valued oh-so-much. After two weeks of negotiating, they came up with the simplest solution they could find.

The simplest way to dissolve this war was to unite these two countries in by a treaty. The best way to do that is, apparently, to take a prestigious family from either side, search until you find an unmarried, decent human being and get them married, without bothering to know their opinion in the matter whatsoever.

And I just happened to be wandering at the wrong place, at the wrong time; effectively reminding everyone of my existence, my royal status and my un-attachment.

I should have done something when the Council disclosed their decision; kicked up my non-existent temper, or pleaded mental instability, or just plain disrespected one of the Ades representatives (because nothing ticks them off like insolence). But I didn't do anything of the sorts. Instead, I had only nodded like a threaded puppet. Much later I had the lack of good sense to take an attempt at suicide. Not that I was successful, clearly. But really, if I had my way I would be anywhere other than where I was standing at the moment.

So in the act of being seriously indecisive, I found myself walking down the aisle escorted by my father in all my glory, towards a man I had never before in my life laid my two eyes on.

Thousands of people I didn't know on either side of me cheered, probably in the excitement of the war finally concluding. Or, to keep me from turning and running as fast as I could towards the nearest exit that I could find. But I had to marry this man, I had to. I was going to stop a war. I was going to save innumerable lives with this marriage. It was a small price to pay to ensure the lives of my beloved.

Coyly, I lifted my gaze from the floor where it had been fixed since I had entered, and studied the man I was walking to.

The first thought that came to my mind? I don't know, but he seemed rather hot to me.

And he was. He had the whole tall and mysterious aura going on for him. From his pure white hair, the lightest blue eye while an eye-patch covered his left eye, to his pointed face, all made blood creep to my already painted cheeks. However, I was surprised, but all the same satisfied to see a small frown marring his chiseled face. I was relieved that he was not pleased to see me, which made two of us. It seemed like I wouldn't need many excuses to keep to myself.

I stole small glances at him throughout the ceremony. This was the man I was going to spend the rest of my life with, whether I liked it or not, and I believed I did not. But my people in Turan would be safe. People didn't have to wake up to the sound of cannons, or march to war with their lives at stake. Families could stay together. Thousands of innocent lives would be saved. Turan would be safe from the jaws of Ades Federation.

"_It is your duty to sacrifice selflessly for your people and country. Carry out your duty with pride, it will bring you more happiness than you can imagine._"

My father's voice reminded me in the back of my head. I highly doubted that _this_ life that I was committing to could ever bring me even an ounce of happiness, yet my father's words was the thought that led me to speak loud and clear.

"I do."

* * *

_The lies turn out to be the truths,_

_The cries of the others in my womb..._

* * *

I am Liliana il Grazioso Merlo Turan, the princess of the Kingdom of Turan. And I have just married Luscinia Hafez, Premier of Ades Fedaration. I don't know him, nor he me; but together an hour ago, we had saved thousands of lives by sacrificing the rest of ours.

No matter how much I tried to convince myself it was worth it, I couldn't escape the truth. And what the truth was, I didn't like it.

"Hi," a voice said which made me look up. A handsome blonde man in Ades General uniform was standing before me, grinning ear to ear.

"Hello," my voice was meek and hesitant. People from Ades had been glaring at me and I tried not to glare back at them, reasoning with myself that I was a stranger to them and that gave them the right to glare at me all they wanted.

"I'm Sorush." He offered his hand and I accepted it cautiously.

"I'm Liliana Tura-" I caught myself, "Liliana Hafez."

Sorush smiled as if he understood. He was still shaking my hand and with the free one, he indicated to the grandeur courtyard of the Ades Palace, where we were standing in, "This," he said dramatically, "is the Palace of her Excellency Augusta, home of several Ades Generals, one really uptight Ades Federation Council, and one certain prick."

"Prick?" I asked quietly as I withdrew my eyes.

"Yeah," his face mimicked seriousness, "And I'm sorry to say that you, Liliana-hime, have just wedded him."

I laughed softly at the blond man's joke and he soon joined me. Maybe Ades people were not so bad after all. At least I would have one friend in this hellhole.

Sorush tilted his head, studying me. "So, you're the Princess of Turan right?"

Pursing my lips I suddenly felt self conscious once again among so many Ades citizens so I opted a simple nod. Sorush laughed a carefree laugh that made me conclude that he laughed a lot. He shook his head as if he understood my insecurities.

"Well, Liliana-hime no Turan welcome abroad Ades."

I tried not to grimace, but some insinuation was probably spotted on my face, because Sorush laughed his deep laugh once again and patted my shoulder lightly, "You'll get used to it soon enough, don't worry."

Reassuring, I thought. Sorush waved to someone across the courtyard and excused himself. I watched my new friend, my only friend, walk away. I suddenly felt very lonely. I missed my friends at Turan, my family and my little sister Millia. I missed Turan.

Most of all, I missed being where people didn't glare at me. As much as I wanted to, I didn't glare back. I was only a stranger in their world. I had no idea what rules or customs they followed. They didn't want me anymore than I wanted them.

But we were stuck with each other, and we'd just have to deal with it.

"Let's go."

My heart almost jumped out of my chest. Luscinia was at my side, looking at me with his ever so indifferent expression. I waited for my heart to stop pounding. But it showed no such sign.

"Go?"

"To our room."

My heart sped up again. Our room. Not his, not mine, ours. I was not ready for this. But I followed him anyways. What choice did I have?

The sun was setting; orange and pink hues descending on the horizon. People all around were drinking and chattering. Is this the joy of a war coming to an end? Their smiles cheered me up a bit, even if not much. My afflictions suddenly felt a lot more worthy.

People parted and made way for us as Luscinia led the way. The militia saluted him, the ladies clinging on their arms bowing politely to him. I tried to match Luscinia's firm steps, my own steps a bit more unsteady for my liking. I was well aware of all the eyes fixed on me, following my every step. I was extra cautious not to trip by any chance. I didn't want to be a laughing stock in Ades anymore than I was certain that I already was.

We passed the courtyard and made way for the eastern direction, the crowd getting thinner and thinner as we neared wherever that we were going. Before long it was only me and my husband. I sneaked a glance up at him. We stood in front of the towering gates of what I assumed was now going to be my 'home'. Luscinia halted, probably allowing me to take in the scene, but I was too busy remembering to breathe in and out to notice all the splendor. He glanced back at me before sweeping his way towards the gates. Fumbling with the hem of my sleeves, I took a few hesitant steps forward.

"Are you coming or what?" Luscinia was nowhere in sight, but his voice reached me, slow and firm, guiding me to him.

There were twenty or so different hallways we walked down. I did my best to remember the way we came, giving up after a few minutes. The place was too huge and too same looking for my memory.

Eventually we made it to our room. Like the rest of the place, it was huge. Unlike the rest of the Palace, it was bland. All of the hallways had been elaborately decorated and polished. Expensive handmade portraits hung and tapestries every few feet or so, and there were flowers in vases on tables everywhere.

Our room was roughly nine hundred feet by nine hundred feet. A double king bed split the room in two. On one side, there was a towering book shelf covered with books, a dresser with a huge mirror. On the other were all of my stuffs.

Someone had unpacked my bags already. A huge dressing table was set up with all of my brushes, hairpins, perfumes and other cosmetics were laid out neatly and accordingly already, just the way I liked. The fact that they had taken care to perceive my penchant, made me feel a little sure of this huge step that I had taken. One glance at the wardrobe showed my clothes, hanging neatly in the closet.

He followed my gaze, "If you want anything switched around, tell the maids."

"It's fine."

Collecting my stuff, which took some time, I entered the washroom.

I had gotten married at three o'clock on the afternoon of October 18th at the age of nineteen and was stuck in a place where very few people liked me. I was a stranger to my husband, and he was a stranger to me.

As I let my gorgeous wedding dress pool my feet, I had the powerful urge to scream. Blocking out all thoughts, because I knew it would only provoke tears from my eyes, and I'd vowed not to cry on this day, I tried to relax my body under the steaming hot water.

When I exited, Luscinia went into the washroom. I took the chance to change my bath robes and get into a new set of decent nightie. I stepped before the mirror, it reflected my face.

It didn't seem as unfamiliar as it did in the past few days. And my mind seemed more in control of my thoughts. I seemed more like myself. Probably because I had chosen to live in a world of strangers rather than being a stranger to myself in a world I was familiar with. It was far better to be myself, in spite of whichever hellhole I was stuck in.

Getting all those fancy styles off my hair took a long time, and getting the tresses to untangle took some more minutes before I was finally able to simply braid it and go lay down on the bed. I'd more than a feeling that sleep would refuse to come to me tonight.

He came out of the washroom soon after, turning off the lights on his way.

I felt the feathery mattress sink further as he joined me in the bed. As I thought back to this dreaded day it didn't seem as bad as it sounded. Sure, Millia and father were now in Turan and I was so, so far away from them... I blinked and brought my fingers to brush my lashes.

Tears, I bitterly smiled as I stared at my moist fingers in the dark. But by then it was too late to remind myself of my vow, because tears were already gushing out. And all I could do was make sure the tears were silent and didn't disturb him.

I stayed up most of the night, crying silently. By the time the early rays of sun peeked through the curtains I had fallen into a light trance but awoke by the quiet sound of the door shutting close after Luscinia as he exited our room.

I didn't want to talk to him; I was determined to hate my new husband. My blood-shot eyes closed and I fell into a dreamless trance on my new bed, in my new house.

Later in the morning I would meet new people and start living in a new place, because, whether I liked it or not, my new life had begun.

The beginning of a sweet scene of serene.

* * *

_The bruise on my body eternal on my skin_

_And the nightmares shall begin!_

* * *

_To be continued..._

**A/N: **o.O My very first review in this story! Hehe, it's good to know that there are people out there looking for LuscLili stories. Again a million thanks to Harry's Tardis.

The poem that was featured was collected from Quizilla, and is called "In Sweet Scene of Serene" by MemoLawliet. And this story was obviously named after the poem. People out there, if you're reading this, some feedback please...?

**A Little Birdie Tells Me**_**.**_


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